Bill to Stop Medical Cannabis and Hemp Raids Passes U.S. Senate, Heads to President Obama

The United States Senate passed a national spending bill Saturday that includes a provision to defund medical cannabis raids. The House of Representatives approved the bill Friday, meaning the proposal now heads to President Obama, who says he will quickly sign it into law once it reaches his desk.

The provision in the spending bill which defunds medical cannabis raids prohibits the Department of Justice from spending any resources enforcing federal cannabis laws in states that have legalized the plant for medical purposes. A separate provision in the spending bill prohibits the Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA) from interfering with state-authorized hemp research programs.

The approval of the spending bill, with the inclusion of these two provisions, is a history moment in the effort to end cannabis prohibition, and a major step in the direction of states being allowed to fully decide their own cannabis policies.

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media.

Anthony can be reached at TheJointBlog@TheJointBlog.com.

5 comments

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